Garden Tips: Prepare your fruit trees now for new growth in spring

If you have fruit trees, now is a good time to have your soil tested to determine what fertilizers are needed to help with a productive crop. The test will indicate whether you need to adjust the pH of your soil by applying lime.

If adjustment is needed, the best time to apply the lime is late winter; this will give it sufficient time to do its job of changing the soil pH, before new growth starts in the spring.

Fruit trees perform best at a soil pH between 6.0 to 6.5. Blueberries like an acid soil pH between 5.0 and 5.5.

Spring, before new growth begins, also is the best time to apply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. If you grow stone fruits, such as peaches, nectarines and plums, you may want to split the application of fertilizer, especially nitrogen, applying in early spring and again in about eight weeks. Too much nitrogen can encourage excessive leaf growth and less fruit.

To avoid injury to young trees, don't apply fertilizer against the trunk. Instead, apply it about 12 to 18 inches away from the trunk.

The Extension Service has soil boxes and information concerning soil testing. Additional soil tests should be taken on established trees every three to four years.

Applying Dormant Oil

If you are going to apply a dormant oil to your fruit trees to kill insects, here are some precautions you should follow to help get the best results:

First read and follow label directions.

Use dormant oil on a clear day when the temperatures are expected to remain higher that 50 degrees for at least 24 hours.

Don't apply dormant oil when severe freezing weather is expected within three to four days after application.